Media Coverage
April 6, 2015
Previously published in the Daily Journal.com Melissa Pileiro mpileiro@gannett.com We’ve heard for years that America’s waistband is tightening. Our lifestyle explains why: This is the age of desk jobs, frozen food and on demand sitcoms. We want for nothing and barely need to lift a finger to fulfill our basic needs. Sure, convenience is wonderful. But for too many people, it’s led to a poor diet, very little physical activity and weight gain. In New Jersey, 26 percent of us are obese. That’s up from 20 percent a decade ago, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. And our children are more interested in Facebook and video games than recess outside. They, too, are suffering. The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids reports that a staggering 40 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds in the Garden State are obese. In a 2010 survey, they wrote specifically of Vineland’s youth: “The majority […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published in NJ Spotlight Experts at conference in Edison note importance of tailoring efforts to target different social groups, coordinating public-health efforts While there are signs that the decades-long rise in childhood obesity is turning a corner, a national obesity expert said community-based public-health efforts in New Jersey and other states could be key to continuing to decrease obesity among both children and adults. It will take a sustained effort with a consistent message, as well as outreach tailored to target different social groups, according to Dr. William H. Dietz, the former nutrition, physical activity and obesity director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dietz noted that national surveys are beginning to show declines in obesity in young children, with one study showing a drop in the percentage of obese 2- to 5-year-olds from 12.4 percent in 2005-2006 to 8.4 percent in 2011-2012. “I think we may […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published in The Philadelphia Tribune More than 300 attendees turned out for a conference focused on building healthier communities in New Jersey. The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK) hosted the Building Healthy, Equitable Communities Conference on Dec. 3 at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. The conference focused on providing participants with tools and best practices to build healthier communities by helping to incorporate health equity into current policies and practices, thereby helping to lessen chronic diseases such as obesity and address environmental factors contributing to health disparities. “Nearly one-third of children in this country are overweight or obese, leading to a plethora of health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol — issues that have been generally associated with adults in the past,” Dr. Darrin Anderson, deputy director of NJPHK, said in a statement. “By bringing together experts and community advocates to share […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published on NJ.com Barbara George Johnson, executive director of The John S. Watson Institute of Public Policy at Thomas Edison State College, is the recipient of the Healthy Kids Champion award presented by the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK). NJPHK is a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with technical assistance and direction provided by the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance. The goal of the program is to convene, connect and empower community partnerships across the state in order to design and implement childhood obesity prevention strategies that support access to affordable healthy foods and increase opportunities for safe physical activity in the cities of Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, Trenton and Vineland. “It is an honor to have been selected for this award,” said George Johnson. “New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids and its community partners have made great strides in implementing policy and environment changes […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published on NJ.com The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids presented a “Healthy Kids Champion” awards Wednesday to several community leaders from around the state including Francis Blanco, who works as chief of staff for Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson. Blanco was among six individuals to receive the award which honors contributions individuals have made to the New Jersey Partnerships for Healthy Kids (NJPHK). Blanco is chairwoman for the Trenton Healthy Food Network, which promotes the availability of healthy food in local stores and bodegas in urban communities. “My passion for improving Trenton and the conditions of people’s lives is very important to me,” Blanco said. “I am honored to receive this award, but I also feel privileged to be able to work to make a difference in a city whose people I want to see healthy and vibrant,” said Ms. Blanco. “It’s an honor to present the Healthy Kids […]
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December 13, 2014
Originally published on NJ.com To find a solution to the nation’s ongoing obesity crisis, people first need to change the way they talk about it, one of the nation’s leading experts on obesity told a statewide audience of health and nutrition experts Wednesday in Edison. Dr. William H. Dietz, director of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness at George Washington University, told the crowd of about 300 that obesity is “the most stigmatized condition in our society. “We can’t continue to confuse the identity with the disease,” Dietz said at the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids’ conference on Building Healthy, Equitable Communities. “We should be talking about people with obesity in the same way we talk about people with diabetes,” he said. “We don’t talk about ‘cancer people.’ We don’t talk about ‘diabetes people’.” Obesity, Dietz said, is not a choice, but a development caused […]
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June 18, 2014
Originally published in The Grapevine Newspaper, June 18, 2014 Local experts weigh in on ways to succeed By: Mary Jane Kinkade Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series on the Vineland area’s fitness and health landscape – the challenges, local options and exciting new developments. Part one will focus on mind and body fitness – why it’s important, local programs and resources, and tips for success. As James Leigh Hunt, a 19th century writer and poet, so eloquently said, “The groundwork of all happiness is health.” If you’re thinking it’s easier said than done, you’re probably correct, but with the right mindset and support, it doesn’t have to be hard — and may even be fun. While gym memberships may swell at the beginning of the year and during bathing suit season, it’s not always indicative of people being ready to make the commitment to getting healthy. […]
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April 5, 2014
Originally published in The Daily Journal Last week, the 2014 New Jersey state report titled “Providing Access to Healthy Solutions — An Analysis of New Jersey’s Opportunities to Enhance Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes” was released. The report, written by PATHS (Providing Access to Healthy Solutions), an initiative led by the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI), provides an overview of the landscape of type 2 diabetes in New Jersey, where approximately 700,000 individuals live with the disease and many others are at risk for developing it, including children. New Jersey ranks No. 3 in the nation for obesity among low-income children ages 2 to 5, of whom 16.6 percent are obese. In Cumberland County, the prevalence of obesity is 33.4 percent. These children are at greater risk of receiving a diabetes diagnosis in their future. This new report is a welcome […]
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March 21, 2014
Originally published in the Star Ledger on nj.com by Dr. Nwando Anyaoku Progress in public health is often surprising and sometimes mysterious. A few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the first substantial evidence that obesity rates have fallen over the past decade in children 2 to 5 years old. While the report sliced through some of the pessimism on childhood obesity, it failed to explain why the picture has improved. Some commentators credited first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, which was front and center at last week’s Partnership for a Healthier America summit. The conference united public health advocates and food companies in an effort to devise better strategies to fight childhood obesity. It was an important summit because many of America’s inner cities, which shoulder the burden of obesity, have been stymied in crafting an action plan. With the best intentions, they pour […]
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March 10, 2014
Originally published in NJBIZ Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center THE SOUTH JERSEY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION In just four years, The South Jersey Young Professionals Association (SJYPA) has raised over $200,000 to support the construction of the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, a project destined to revitalize the lives of our neighbors in Camden. With the Kroc Center set to open in the Fall of 2014, this year’s Halo Ball will cap off a five-year partnership with The Salvation Army. The SJYPA will also present The Halo Award to a young professional who has demonstrated a commitment to the betterment of the South Jersey community. Angel of the year winner Valeria Galarza, the New Jersey Partnership for Health Kids-Camden project manager. SHARE:
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